


Rest Easy

by Stariceling



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hunter Exam arc, Late at Night, Literal Sleeping Together, Protectiveness, Safety, Sleep, Watching Someone Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-18 15:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3574387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stariceling/pseuds/Stariceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurapika didn't expect to find people who would make him comfortable enough to relax. Now he wants to see them safe and rested.</p><p>Nothing but reassurances, protective feelings, and sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rest Easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slr2moons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slr2moons/gifts).



> Because slr2moons is wonderful and is so good to me: fic present? And to celebrate my unexpected fall into HxH. I hope you like!

Realistically, Kurapika had thought he should have preferred to sleep by himself whenever possible. He didn’t have any kin left, and he had no reason to expect he would bond with anyone else to the point where such an arrangement would be comfortable. He had misgivings about the thought of sleeping with anyone even within arm’s length of him.

In reality there was the Hunter’s Exam, and then there was the night on board the air ship before the third phase. He fell asleep easily at Leorio’s side, but he could rationalize that as the most sensible choice. They both needed to be well-rested for the task ahead, and if there was a chance of dirty tactics from other participants they would naturally defend each other.

He did wake briefly when Leorio slumped against him. He opened his eyes just enough to see his companion sleeping soundly against his side. It was only Leorio, nothing worth getting upset over. He only shifted a bit, so that Leorio’s head lay a little more comfortably against his shoulder, and went back to sleep.

That was the beginning and the end of his misgivings about sleeping close to his companions.

* * *

The next night the whole group spent together in their unplanned timeout. The accommodations were as comfortable as could be expected for two days of confinement. Kurapika was able to sleep until what must have been dawn outside. He found Killua staring silently at the ceiling.

He thought it was just difficulty sleeping. He wasn’t sure what to think of Killua’s answer that he was able to go without sleep for a few days. Killua was more interested in waking Gon with a pillow attack than talking about it.

They would be spending another two days in the tower, and they had no way of knowing how long the rest of the exam would go on after that. If Killua chose not to sleep now there was a good chance he would be tired out by the time they made it to the next part of the exam. Since they were being forced to be idle, Kurapika thought he should at least try to rest.

It was a subject he didn’t know how to bring up with Gon’s new friend. There was no chance to mention it discretely and he didn’t want to put Killua on the spot, although so far he had been so matter-of-fact about everything it was unlikely he would care. He and Gon both seemed to have energy to burn. Even if Kurapika was trying to read it was comforting to hear the two of them in the background.

Kurapika read until the room was quiet, and eventually woke from his light doze when Leorio finally lay down. He had stayed up watching their small television with headphones while everyone else went to bed, and Kurapika didn’t expect to see him fall asleep so quickly. Kurapika was about to lay down himself when he noticed Killua was patiently watching the ceiling once again.

“You’re still awake?”

“Does it bother you?” Killua asked. He was lying still, prepared to wait through the night again, but his eyes turned toward Kurapika. “Do you think I’ll kill you in your sleep?”

“It never occurred to me.”

Of course Kurapika was aware Killua had been trained as an assassin, and he was dangerous. He had no feeling that Killua intended to attack any of them. Killua had calmly offered to kill his opponent for him, but he had also accepted Kurapika’s refusal. Even if killing was an everyday practice for him, in Kurapika’s mind he was one of them and that held more weight.

“It does bother me you haven’t taken a chance to rest. We don’t know what’s waiting in the next phase of the exam.” Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. They needed to focus on the task at hand, but he still pinned his determination on reaching the next phase, for however many phases still stood before him.

Killua’s only response was wide eyes and a few quick blinks, which made Kurapika feel fond and even a bit protective of his young companion. Did Killua find his concern that surprising? It was natural. “I would offer to stay awake for a time so you can sleep, but I don’t get the impression that would put you at ease.”

“It doesn’t make a difference. It’s not like any of you could hurt me, anyway.”

Of course the three of them would never try to harm him. Tonpa wasn’t a beneficial ally, but Kurapika doubted he would stoop so low as trying to attack any of them in their sleep. It sounded like Killua was more confident in his own skills than their actions, though.

“Fine. If it makes you feel better.” Killua deliberately moved some distance away from Gon, lay down again, and closed his eyes.

Kurapika sat up a little straighter. He had offered to guard Killua, necessary or not, and he would take that promise seriously.

He wondered if Killua didn’t want Gon to kick him in his sleep. It was also possible Killua was taking precautions against the chance that he would reflexively attack Gon if he was disturbed. The gap was wide enough that Gon’s restless sleeping movements shouldn’t be enough to close it again. Kurapika mentally measured the space between them. That marked the radius around Killua where he would not allow anyone to tread. That would be the condition of his self-imposed night watch.

Killua slept for about four hours. In that time he didn’t move. He didn’t even seem to breathe. Even though he was stretched out, Kurapika had the impression that Killua had tucked his body up until he appeared smaller.

The only disturbance was Leorio tossing and turning in his sleep. At one point he woke up to mutter under his breath and thump his pillow. For a moment Kurapika watched him attempting to find a comfortable position.

“Can’t sleep?” Leorio asked.

“Mm. I’ll manage. You wouldn’t be having trouble sleeping if you hadn’t been napping all day,” He told Leorio, the blunt words coming out unplanned.

He could almost hear Leorio’s teeth grinding and closed his eyes for a moment, seeking calm. He hadn’t intended to start a fight.

“If you’re going to blame me I want you to come out and say it.”

Of course that loss was still on Leorio’s mind, even though it had never been his intention to bring it up. He would like to believe there was no room left in his heart for such petty grudges.

He looked over at the boys again. Killua was still sleeping like the dead while Gon snored peacefully. It appeared the quiet conversation wasn’t disturbing either of them.

It occurred to him this might be why Leorio was unable to sleep.

“I’m only frustrated you keep allowing Tonpa to get a rise out of you. The next time he tries, you are welcome to shift the blame to me.”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“Exactly. Because I refused to kill my opponent you ended up taking that bet.” It might have ended with the same disaster in any case, but for a moment Leorio had been someone they could depend on. At least, as long as he was using his brain.

“I’ve already forgotten about that,” Leorio muttered.

He wouldn’t see with his face turned toward the couch in a sulk, but Kurapika smiled at him. Leorio was too honest, too sensitive, and too quick to anger. Maybe that was why his words carried so much weight.

“Then it should be easy to understand that I’ve already forgiven your mistake.”

He didn’t catch what Leorio grumbled into his pillow, but there was no anger left in his tone. Kurapika could swear he finally relaxed as well. Once his breathing evened out in sleep he didn’t stir again.

After that short conversation Kurapika watched all four of them sleep quietly until Killua lifted his head, abruptly awake.

“Your turn.”

Kurapika smiled. He thought Killua was pretending not to notice, but that was fine. “Thank you.”

He woke to the commotion of another argument. From what he could gather, Killua had ‘discouraged’ Tonpa from waking him, their self-proclaimed Judas had seized the opportunity to bemoan their unfair suspicions, and Leorio had picked up the bait even when it wasn’t being dangled at him.

While the gesture had likely been innocent–Tonpa seemed to be under the impression it was still possible to get on his good side–and Killua seemed to have done it for the entertainment value rather than as a response to any perceived threat, Kurapika was touched. Even if there was no real threat the thought still counted for something. He had to rely on Gon as a translator when he tried to express his thanks, and even then he didn’t get the feeling Killua quite understood.

Even if they could take care of themselves, Kurapika found himself feeling fiercely protective of all three of them.

* * *

Even though Gon was strong and Kurapika didn’t think they could have ever gotten through the exam without him, the feeling of wanting to see Gon safe and well went much deeper than repaying what Gon had done for him.

It was after the exam, on the airship to Padokia, that Gon finally ran out of steam. He had been going full speed with worry for Killua, and Kurapika understood that.

He also understood being rested and ready for what lay ahead. He was glad they still had several hours left in their trip when Gon slumped against him, head-butting him in the ribs. Kurapika immediately went still, but Gon was already out like a light and snoring.

The only sensible thing to do was to ease Gon out of the uncomfortable position at his side until Gon’s head was resting in his lap. He left one hand protectively on Gon’s shoulder, guarding against Gon’s arm being jostled in his sleep.

When he turned to look out the window again he caught Leorio staring at him, paused with a bottle of water raised halfway to his mouth.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” Leorio claimed, even though the arch of his eyebrows said he thought he was seeing significantly more than ‘nothing.’ “I didn’t think you were the type to put up with that.”

“With what?” If it was letting Gon use him as a pillow, Kurapika didn’t see anything that needed ‘putting up with.’ He only saw someone he cared for getting a much-needed rest.

Anyway, this wasn’t the first time he’d allowed someone to sleep close to him. “We slept back-to-back on Zevil Island,” he reminded Leorio. They had spent every night there protecting each other. He had gotten so used to the solid presence of Leorio’s back against his he wasn’t sure he could have slept without it, not while knowing an attack might come at any moment.

Leorio thumped the water bottle down without drinking. “That and this are completely different!”

“I don’t see a difference.”

Kurapika looked down at Gon again to make sure the outburst hadn’t disturbed him. Sleep was necessary, but it also meant being vulnerable. To protect the people he cared about in their sleep, to feel safer knowing they were with him while he slept, those were precious feelings. He didn’t expect he would get to enjoy them much longer. With the Hunter Exam over, he thought of quickly entering into a world where there would be no one he would allow himself to care about and no one he could ever trust.

After running a gentle hand over Gon’s spiky hair, Kurapika turned his attention out the window once again.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Leorio’s smile. “Anyway, it’s good to see the two of you relaxed for once.”

If that comment was meant as a teasing bait, he wasn’t going to take it. He was going to accept the truth of it. Being able to relax in the presence of his friends, and to give Gon a chance to rest easily, these were things to be enjoyed while he had them.


End file.
